A Tragic First of September
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: The Hogwarts Express is being attacked. Rating M just to be sure. Set at the beginning of Harry's sixth Hogwarts year. Completely AU


**A Tragic First of September**

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_**Warning: This is not a "nice" story. Multiple character deaths are implied!**_

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"Mum, please, you just have to let us board the Hogwarts Express," Ron begged his mother, throwing Hermione a look, pleading for her agreement.

"Please, Mrs. Weasley, we're both well enough to go back to school," Hermione said, throwing her boyfriend's mother a puppy dog eyes look. "We can always go to see Madam Pomfrey if we don't feel well later on."

"I am definitely returning to Hogwarts today," Ginny said firmly, stomping a foot.

"No. All three of you are still running a temperature, and you're still contagious," Mrs. Weasley replied firmly. "I know that Harry will probably be on the train, but he'll be all right on his own. Go back to bed and rest, all of you, and that's my last word. I will contact Professor McGonagall."

九月一日

An eagle was flying over the landscape. If someone saw the animal, one would get the impression as if the bird was enjoying himself as it was taking laps in the still warm rays of the early September sun that felt soothing to the skin. However, the eagle was staring into the distance, not even registering the beautiful wild flowers surrounding him as he landed on a small hill. No one was nearby; no one could see him. Yet the eagle remained unmoving and sniffled around, before it contentedly nodded and continued staring to a point far in the distance.

If the raven that was hiding on a nearby tree was observing the eagle, it would notice that the larger bird all of a sudden sensed something far away. The eagle abruptly tensed and to the raven's surprise transformed into a young man.

The wizard could not yet see what the eagle had already been able to spot. However, he knew what could be expected soon, and he was waiting eagerly, excitedly anticipating the time to take action.

Finally, even the raven was able to make out the steam of the train that was approaching from across the bridge. If it observed the wizard, it would notice that he suddenly pulled a stick out of his robe pocket and pointed it at the approaching train, shouting a sentence the raven wouldn't be able to understand.

As soon as the young man slid his wand back into the pocket of his black robes, the train, which was just crossing the enormous bridge, exploded into a huge black cloud, before the cloud vanished into thin air, merely leaving a white phoenix hovering over the depth of the ground, where earlier a bridge had been peacefully connecting two parts of England for a long time.

'_Oh no, don't tell me that's the boy who lived_,' the young man thought, running his hands through his blonde hair in absolute annoyance, before he apparated away.

九月一日

The phoenix shivered violently in spite of the thick white feathers surrounding his body, not only because of the bug he had caught on his shopping trip to Diagon Alley a few days ago, but also because of the shock of what had just happened to the Hogwarts Express. '_Thank God I managed the Animagus transformation during the holidays. I just wished I could apparate or had been able to practise flashing_,' he thought as he made his first attempt to flash himself to Hogwarts in desperation, knowing that he wouldn't be able to fly as far in his already aggravated condition.

With a huge splash of ice, the ice phoenix appeared in the middle of the Great Hall and collapsed to the floor, startling the professors, who had just sat down for their last quiet meal before the arrival of the students. When he managed to open his eyes in exhaustion, he saw all his teachers standing around him, observing him in confusion.

The phoenix slowly transformed back into his human form, causing the professors to let out a simultaneous gasp. "The Hogwarts Express was attacked and exploded," he managed to croak, before he drifted off into a blissful unconsciousness.

While the Headmaster strode off to send the Aurors out to investigate, Professors McGonagall and Snape accompanied Madam Pomfrey to the hospital wing with the student floating in front of them.

"Thank God that more than half of the students are still sick with the witch's flu that has harassed the whole magical world over the summer," McGonagall said, sighing in relief. "I received many Floo calls this morning from mothers, whose children were unable to board the train."

"That's true," Snape agreed in a soft voice. "More than half of my House is still sick as well."

"And here we have another victim of the witch's flu," Madam Pomfrey said, sighing as she spelled several potions into the boy's stomach.

"Did you know that he was a phoenix Animagus, Minerva?" Snape queried, raising an eyebrow at his older colleague.

"No Severus; he must have practised the Animagus transformation during the holidays," McGonagall replied, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Well done, my child; very well done," she whispered soothingly, gently wiping his hot forehead with a cold cloth.

Snape turned around and crossed the room, mumbling something like "the boy who lived once more to annoy us all" as he left the hospital wing to enquire about the fate of some of his students.

**The End**

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_My muse decided to write this little drabble when I was sick and in a bad mood. Please don't kill me. This kind of story will be an exception ;-)_

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or eat them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


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